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About Hesperian student / (Lincoln [Neb.]) 1872-1885 | View Entire Issue (April 16, 1888)
THE HESPERIAN EXCHANGE BRICA BRA C. Most of our exchanges are running editorials commencing: "With the coming of vernal spring-" As a rule they read as though they had been kept standing since this time lastye.tr. The Ariel for March is a very neat looking sheet typo graphically, and we judge that as an exponent of its college it comes much nearer the standard than the ordinary college paper. The Rambler for March is a much better paper than usual. Especially commendable is a paper in which the author attempts to refute the Donnelly theory of the authorship of the Shakespeare plays. The Acamedian seems to have suddenly become tired of exchanging with us. Send your little handbilll in, boys, unless you want to be taken oft' our list. We are not doing a free lunch house business. We must advise our little friend the Call to brace up its Latin somewhat or else use its mother English. However, wc notice that is possessed of quite the same tendency to ball up the English, so its action upon our suggestion might work no improvement. The Butler Collegian is, in its way, one of the best papers wc have reviewed this month. The characterization of Car lylc is especially commendable. The excitable exchange editor of the sheet, however, might profitably soak his head in the benzine can a while. The Muhlenberg Monthly for March comes out in a blonde imitation of alligator skin cover. We cannot sec any im provement in the change. Plain paper and type make the prettiest showing in a college paper. Those contemplating a change can't do better than pattern after the Ariel, Wc are very much in favor of the plan, now being dis cussed by many of our exchanges, to have a meeting of all college editors called. They could accomplish, many things which should not be neglected much longer. For instance, one of our contemporaries might be allowed, by common con sent, to print all the chestnuts, instead of as at present having them divided between seventy or eighty well hicaning but occasionally somewhat mistaken journals. We believe this is a strong argument in favor of the proposed convention, and demand its careful consideration. The enthusiastic old saint who continues to do the ex changes for the Niagara Index accuses Thk Hbsi'BKIAN in a sleepy sort of a way of attempting to arouse his animosity. While not saying it in so many words, he intimates that if His Nibs were once successfully stirred up danger to some body would result. No, dear old boy, life is too short, and this paper is entirely too busy, to trouble itself about your animosity or your friendship cither, for that matter. Hut go on with your "good work." Our spirit is with you; and if you are ever out our way, call and sec us. We'll borrow a good cob pipe and try to make it interesting for you. The Monthly the one published by the girls devotes a column or so proving that the ex. man of Tub Hbstbrian is a liar. Asy a rule he would have but little objection to the filing of such proof, but in this case must undertake to punc ture the anities of the ladies a second time. Add 4,000 to your estimate of the size of this paper, measure your own type 0(1 the galleys instead of in the columns, remember that Tub Hbsi'BKIAN is a semi-monthly, and you will perhaps not feel so big. When the girls have taken this prescription, after shaking ' well, they may accept our compliments upon the last number ot the Monthly. Its exchange work is exceptionally well done. Yes, dear Atheiucttm wc shall undoubtedly "continue to howl" in perfect indifference to the silly maunderings of the brainless little jackanapes, who rims your exchange column, and with a sublime contempt for his imbecile efforts to epver us with dirt. Fully aware of the righteousness of our cause we shall continue our crusade against all such accidents of college journalism r.s you and your ex. man. We shall not attempt, as does your little seedling, to proceed by means of dirt throwing so vile and contemptible that it would put to shame a backwoods grcenbackcr; nor shall wc attempt to make capital by ridiculing earnest and sensible endeavors of college editors to improve themselves and their papeisj but we shall find it our duty to put our finger upon the weak spots so abundant and so manifest of such smart Aleck upstarts as those who assist in the compilation of your rather hoijiely sheet. It requires no small amount of gall for so in significant a sheet as the Aiheiucuni, which contains less than t four small pages of matter original with its editors, to foist itself upon intelligent readers as a college organ; it requires nothing short of inexcusable conceit and monumental egotism for such a thing to attack a paper like Tub Hbsi'BRIAN. Hut snarl away. We shall entertain precisely the amount of lespect for you that you deserve. A little sheet from Vermont, which puts from two to seven pica slugs between its items, accuses us oi a desire to obtain notoriety, because the little "Jim Crow" thing was once given some free advertising on this page. Hless your innocent soul if that was our object wc should load for game of a respect able size. Hut wc shall bear no grudge against you. If you bad grit enough to open your mouth and speak your mind; if your miserable little excuse for an exchange column was any thing but a mutual admiration article and its editor anything but a fisher for pufl's, no doubt you, too, would find somebody to accuse you of a desire for notoriety ami to say various other hard things concerning you. Our last Occident contains an exchange column. Wc are glad to see such a move toward improvement. To the young man whose business it is to look after that department we would like to suggest that he buckle on his armor and and proceed about it in a businesslike manner. An exchange column is an essential feature of a good college paper. Hy exchange column we don't mean the collection of milk and water trash a third of our exchanges print; nor do we mean the symposium of chestnuts which adorn the pages of a second third. We want to see your department filled with matter of your own composition. To do this you must read your exchanges carefully and critically. It will be a disa greeable task, but in fifty years you won't know the differ ence. Then write just what you think about them, and we guarantee that your work will be readable. Never bid for a puff. Knowing that you aie right, go ahead, and our bene diction, and that of every conscientious exchange man, will rest upon you. A fellow who writes for the March number of the Lawren tian under the caption "Railroad Monopolies" makes some of the most amusing remarks we have seen for some time. Waxing warm over his subject, he depicts in startling colors the alarming condition into which the American public has been brought by the railroads, and the evil effects that will surely follow. An uninformed person might be led to sup pose from some of his sounding phrases that he bail made some little study of the questions which arc now being raised by our public carriers. Not that we blame him for attempt ing to discuss such questions. On the contrary, we believe no set of problems has better right to occupy his attention. He has erred only in displaying his childlike innocence of of any knowledge of his subject. 01 course a railroad is ti monopoly. Must it not be so in its very nature or else cease to operate? And do not the advantages of this monopoly to the public compensate a thousand fold for the incidental in justices necessarily connected with it? Hut this brilliant young economist who inveighs so heavily against gigantic railroad monopoly ought to consult a statistic or two before he rushes into print again. If he will take the trouble to in vestigate he will find that in these days railroad investments arc not considered great snaps by men with inony. Their average return is but little more than that of government se curities, and not nearly so sure. No, the wealthy man now adays puts his spare money into trusts. This country has I ihc best railway service in the world, and in no other country is carrying done so cheaply. Its cost has become almost in appreciable in the price of the vast number of articles of con sumption carried. His cry of discrimination should be rele gated to a place among the rubbish of the past, where it prop erly belongs. If he will peruse the late report of the inter state commission he will find that danger of that kind is much more imminent in his mind's eye than in reality. Hut we can't drop the matter till we have referred to his' Union Pacific illustration. Let him compute the value of the enoimous land grants twenty five years ago and then ask himself what it is but the above mentioned railroad that gave the land its present value. Hoforc making any n.orc wild statements about matters of which he is so entirely ignorant he should find out how long it has been since the Union Pacific has been able to declare a dividend, and post up on several other minor points, including some of the character istics of competition and combination. When he has done this he may reasonably renew his ambitions to supplant the present authorities ill the niimk nl the mwnirc nml untutored It --- - . - . v.v-w VwwT - w - men who at present tend to the ballot business.